Check-hook



(N0 Mo deD P. J. FROST; TfSOUERS & C. WJCOOLEDGE.

CHECKBOOK.

,No.603,234. H 1 "Pat nt dApnza, 1898.

WITNESSES q ar y J fin, fl ATTORNEYS,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED J. FROST, THEODORE SOUERS, AND CHARLES W. COOLEDGE, OF GRUNDY CENTRE, IOWA.

CHECK-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,234, dated April 26, 1898.

Application filed March 16, 1897 aim... 627,870. on model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED J. Fnos'r, THEO- DORE SOUERS, and CHARLES W. COOLEDGE, of Grundy Centre, in the county of Grundy and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

, The object of this invention is to provide a coupling for flexible connections, the members of which coupling may be readily disconnected when desired, but which cannot be disconnected by accidental shaking.

We have shown the invention as a checkhook or terret; but it is capable of use in many other connections.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of our invention, showing the parts in operative position. Fig. 2 is a side view of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts in position to be disconnected.

The check-hook has a transversely-elongated eye a at one end and at the opposite end has an eye 19, provided at one side with a recess 0, the side walls of which are each formed with two shoulders 0, respectively joined' to each other by horizontal surfaces 0 The terret has a screw-shank d, adapted to support the terret, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Rigid with the shank d is a head 6, having an eye f, through the wall of which runs an opening g. The orifice 9 runs completely through the wall of the eye f, so that the eye f is opened by the orifice g. One wall of the opening or orifice g is plane, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, while the opposite or second wall has an inwardly-extending tongue g, adapted to fit snugly between the two inner of the shoulders c of the eye I) and fill the space inclosed by said shoulders. On each side of the tongue g the wall of the opening 9 of such tongue is provided with plane portions g ,which are capable of respectively engaging the horizontal surfaces 0 of the eye I) when the two sections of the device are connected.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the parts in the position which they assume when they are in use and,

. hen the checkrein is attached to the checkh ok, so that the checkrein in turn will be connected with the harness through the medium of the terret. To disconnect the two sections of the fastener, the check-hook is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the lug g at the opening 9 in the eye a of the terretwill be in position to register with the space between the two innermost shoulders c of .the notch c in the check-hook. The check-hook may now be lifted ofi of the harness-pad section, whereupon the disconnection of the two will be effected. The sections are connected by reversing this movement. When the sections are once in connection, it will be impossible to disconnect them by the accidental'shaking of the sections, since they must be moved to avery delicate adjustment before a disconnection can be effected. At the same time when this adj ustment is secured the connection or disconnection may be ef fected with perfect ease.

The terret when applied to the saddle-pad of harness stands with the opening of the eye f disposed transversely, so that the eye I) of the rein-section bears normally against one wall of the eye f at a point below the opening 9. When it is desired to disconnect the sections, this may be readily done without drawing back to an appreciable extent on the horse?s head, since it is only necessary to swing the check-hook horizontally for onequarter of a circle and then turn or rock the check-hook vertically for one-quarter of a revolution, whereupon the adjustment necessary for the disconnection of the sections is reached, and such operation may be performed by simply moving the sections from each other. At the same time two distinct movements are necessary before the parts are in position to effect their disconnection. After this a third movement is necessary to actually effect the disconnection of the sections. Oonsequently under no circumstances is it possi ble for the parts to he accidentally disconnected.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of two sections forming respectively a checkrein-hook, and a terret,

the sections being adapted for connection at right angles with each other and each section having an eye, one eye having an opening leading outward from the eye to permit the entrance and the removal of the other section, the sections further having respectively at the said opening in one section and at the coacting point of the other section, a mating rib and groove ranging in a direction outward from the eye, the rib and groove ranging respectively parallel with the eye of the opposite member and at right angles to the eye in conjunction with which it is formed, the grooved and ribbed formations thus offering obstructions to each other until the members 1 are moved twice at right angles.

FRED J. FROST. THEODORE SOUERS. CHARLES XV. COOLEDGE. Witnesses:

W. P. IIUToHIsoN, F. TEASDALE. 

